Life is GOOD in the Bukit. 

The southernmost point of Bali, the Bukit Peninsula is home to famous surf spots, including Uluwatu, Bingin and Balangan.  

We stayed in a fantastic homestay, which was recommended by friends we met while traveling who had stayed there a few weeks prior. The comfortable home base was centrally located in the village of Pecatu so we could drive everywhere within minutes, riding on a motorbike that the homestay owner, Wayan, rented us for $4/day.

We loved the homestay atmosphere and enjoyed getting to know the lovely family, led by our hosts Wayan and Ketut. They are such generous and welcoming people. Wayan picked us up at the airport and helped us whenever we had a question, quizzing me on simple Indonesian phrases after I told him I wanted to learn the basics of the language. On the day we left, Ketut gave me a beautiful bracelet she'd made using local shells and orange beads. They made us feel like part of the family. 

But we are far from homebodies and we spent most of our time out exploring. We'd wake up, throw on our bathing suits and head out, riding around on our motorbike, which already had an awesome surfboard rack built on the side. 

In the Bukit, petrol stations are carts with recycled one liter liquor bottles full of neon yellow fuel the color of Red Bull, which they hastily slosh into your motorbike tank via a dirty old funnel. 

The peninsula is home to some amazing restaurants. We were thrilled to discover that for about $3-8, depending on what you’re having, you can eat like a king. (We did not miss anything about the food in Australia!) I'm going to blog about all the wonderful food we've been eating in Indonesia. (I really am. I swear.)

The main reason to visit to Bukit is to surf, or watch surfing, or hook up with a surfer. Surfing is the main draw. However, there's one other attraction that brings people staying in other parts of the island down to the Bukit: the Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple. 

Most popular at sunset, Pura Luhur Uluwatu offers a picturesque photo op, and a lot more to see. There's the view of the water and waves crashing below, the silhouette of the temple out on the edge of the cliff, there's a traditional Kecak dance ritual performed nightly, and, of course, there are the monkeys. 

Those monkeys are c-r-a-z-y! And kind of scary. They are evil little honey badgers, taking what they want, offering no apologies. We watched one snatch a pink croc shoe right off a little girl's foot! 

There are guys who work at the temple and try to keep the monkeys in line. They walk around with slingshots and fanny packs full of eggs to try to intimidate and distract the monkeys, but we saw that little can be done to persuade those little hooligans. People who fought back against their little human-like thief hands were met with barred teeth and a hiss.

In addition to the dozens of psycho monkeys, there were also large crowds of people. One night of that was enough for us. 

My favorite environment that Bukit offers, outside of the beach, is the area around the homestay. Only a few blocks off the main strip, which is still relatively quiet, is lush goodness. The earthy, heady scent of dense foliage, wet leaves, the salty ocean air and tropical flowers fills your lungs. I felt happy, on a natural high, and like I was living in The Jungle Book with my very own Mowgli. 

There are always palms sprouting from the ground and overhead, a verdant canopy to protect you from sun or rain. Flowers seem to grow everywhere, off vines and out of cracks in pavement. The flamboyant bursts - magenta, orange, red and shades of purple - beg for attention and admiration. 

And then there are plenty of complimentary cool colors. The greens and the blues of the ocean seem to be at the end of every road. The many overlooks are typically accessible by a walk down a steep path or staircase (or both).

More than anything else, there are surfers, and surf shops, which is perfect for us. Mike loves to surf and I love to shop. (Even Mike loves shopping sometimes, as long as we're in a surf shop.) ;)

Overall in Bali so far, we've been struck by the beauty, vibrancy, color and nature infused everywhere. The Indonesian people are gracious and lighthearted, with big smiles and a playful sense of humor that transcends any language barrier. Flowers seem to bloom everywhere and the air is alive with the sound of birds singing, calling, chirping. Even in public bathrooms, there are often potted plants and freshly picked flowers arranged in shallow bowls. 

Like I said, it's beautiful. And life is very, very good.